A first-half brace from man of the match Jacob Murphy and a third goal from Harvey Barnes secured a resounding 3-0 win for the Magpies at the King Power Stadium.
"Really pleased. A massive win for us. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We started really well and that gave us the foundation to go and win,” Howe told BBC Sport.
"It was a bright start. The first goal was a real highlight for us in terms of quality. When you start the game in that fashion it makes it easier for you. Leicester were competitive but I wanted us to add more goals.
"It's going to hot up. The next week for us is a big week. We have three really tough games and that will go a long way in seeing where we are at the end of the season. We are in a better position than we were but there is still a lot of work to do."
Victory for Newcastle United moved them up to fifth in the table, with 53 points, level on points with Chelsea.